Scottish Executive

Air Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to (a) make additional funding available for marketing tourism to Edinburgh and Scotland following the expansion of Ryanair flights from Dublin to Scotland and (b) support the expansion of air services from Scotland to destinations beyond the United Kingdom.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: I refer the member to my announcement on 2 August of an additional £5.51 million for VisitScotland for the purposes of marketing Scotland. Funding for VisitScotland has increased by 95% since February 2000, and is now at a record level of over £37 million. It is for VisitScotland to determine how its funding should be used to promote Scotland. The promotion of direct access routes is an important part of its strategy. Edinburgh and Lothians Tourist Board is responsible for the promotion of Edinburgh as a tourist destination.

  The Scottish Executive will continue to encourage the development of more commercial and cost effective air services to and from Scotland for the benefit of the travelling public and the Scottish economy. This is a matter that we discuss regularly with the Enterprise Networks, with VisitScotland, and with the airport operators.

Census

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16407 by Mr Jim Wallace on 3 July 2001, where the 10,000 Gaelic translations of the census form questions were held during the census period; what steps were taken to advertise their availability; how many requests were made for copies, and what has been done with any unused copies.

Mr Jim Wallace: 4,500 Gaelic translation leaflets were distributed around Scotland’s 22 census areas, broadly in proportion to the numbers of Gaelic speakers in each area. Some 3,500 were retained at census HQ to meet any demand coming to the centre and a further 2,000 were retained at the premises of the distribution contractor for immediate response to extra demand in an area.

  Although there was no paid advertising for the Gaelic translation leaflet, its availability was mentioned in a number of news releases concerned with the availability of translations into minority languages generally; the Registrar General made a point of referring to the available translations in broadcast interviews and there was a specific news piece carried on Radio Nan Gaidheal by one of our census district managers. In anticipation of this broadcast a further 1,000 copies of the leaflet were despatched to the area manager for the Western Isles.

  Generally, however, the promotion of the availability of the leaflets was devolved to the 22 census area managers throughout Scotland as part of their community liaison responsibilities and in response to demand. No specific record was kept of the take up of the leaflets but demand was not high. Authority has been given to destroy the unused copies held by area managers.

  The copies held at census HQ and with the distributor are currently still held there, but may soon be destroyed.

Census

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16407 by Mr Jim Wallace on 3 July 2001, how many calls were made to Gaelic-speaking operators on the census helpline during the census period seeking assistance in completing census forms.

Mr Jim Wallace: 157 calls were made.

Central Heating

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10148 by Jackie Baillie on 15 November 2000, whether there has been any change in the funding arrangements for the central heating initiative and what progress there has been in discussions with Scottish Gas, Scottish Power, Scottish Hydro-electric and Transco.

Jackie Baillie: A further £5 million is being put into the central heating programme this year so that councils considering transfer   to community ownership can install central heating systems on the same timescale as the other local authorities taking part. Good progress has been made in our discussions with the energy companies and they have agreed to support the programme through the Energy Efficiency Commitment. Support will also be provided by Transco through its Affordable Warmth Programme.

Central Heating

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will clarify the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning’s statement in Scotland on Sunday on 1 July 2001 that "Soon all Scotland’s pensioners will have the right to a central heating system to tackle hypothermia" and whether it will confirm by what date all pensioners will have central heating installed.

Jackie Baillie: The statement by the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning refers to the Executive’s central heating programme. The principal benefits are that it will help to improve the health of the elderly and lower the incidence of cold-related illnesses. There will be sufficient investment to ensure that all over-60s receive heating and insulation by March 2006.

Dental Health

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce teeth cleaning schemes in all nursery and primary schools to reduce dental caries until drinking-water fluoridation plants, if approved, come into operation.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Action Plan for Dental Services in Scotland, published last August, highlighted the range of preventative programmes in development and the need for health boards to monitor and expand toothbrushing schemes in nurseries. Given recent findings of research in Dundee, the Executive is reviewing how it can support the development of toothbrushing in nursery and primary schools as part of the on-going activities to improve oral health in Scotland.

Energy

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which types of new car are eligible for an Energy Saving Trust grant of (a) 40%, (b) 60% and (c) 75% under the Powershift scheme for conversion to liquid petroleum gas and which types of car can be converted in Scotland.

Rhona Brankin: To be eligible for a Powershift grant, vehicle models must be on the approved Powershift Register; all those which are can be converted in Scotland. Once converted these vehicles achieve an overall reduction in their emissions in line with the current European standard (Euro III). The figures below indicate the level of grant support available towards the vehicle conversion cost, which relates to the standard achieved.

  


Level of Grant 
  

Overall Emissions Reduction Achieved 
  



40% 
  

0 - 49% 
  



60% 
  

50 - 64% 
  



75% 
  

65% and over

Energy

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many approved grant applications under the Powershift scheme, for what value, have yet to be paid by the Energy Saving Trust to individuals or organisations who have converted cars to liquid petroleum gas.

Rhona Brankin: As of 1 August, there were eight approved Powershift applications to the value of £7072 awaiting payment by the Energy Saving Trust in Scotland. These grants will be paid shortly.

Environment

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Baldovie waste incinerator, run by Dundee Energy Recycling Limited, has breached its safety limits since re-opening this year and, if so, on what dates the breaches took place, what the nature was of the breaches and whether they were reported to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Rhona Brankin: These are operational matters for the Health and Safety Executive and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, both of which regulate the incinerator at Baldovie. The information is not held centrally.

Ferry Services

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what provision it is making to ensure that the subvention paid for livestock shipments from Orkney and Shetland to the mainland will continue after the expiry of the current contract with P&O Scottish Ferries on 1 October 2002.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive’s current Northern Isles subsidy contract with P&O Scottish Ferries and the recently awarded contract with NorthLink for the period 2002-07 provides subsidy for passenger and car ferry services only.

  The Scottish Executive provides considerable financial support for the movement of livestock between Orkney, Shetland and the Scottish mainland under the Tariff Rebate Subsidy (TRS) scheme for bulk and livestock shipping. The TRS scheme provides 50% rebate on shipping costs for exporting and importing livestock. As indicated in my reply to S1W-14998 the Executive received recently the report of an evaluation of the TRS Scheme conducted by consultants. The evaluation report is being considered in detail and ministers will announce their conclusions on the review in due course. These will reflect the Executive’s commitment to maintaining essential ferry services to Orkney and Shetland and their communities.

Fisheries

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16673 by Rhona Brankin on 29 June 2001, whether she proposed during the meeting of the European Fisheries Council on 18 June 2001 that the proposed regional bodies, which the UK delegation advocated at the meeting, should have formal decision-making powers as recommended in the 3rd Report, 2001 of the European Committee,  Reforming the Common Fisheries Policy: A blueprint for negotiations .

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16673 by Rhona Brankin on 29 June 2001, whether the United Kingdom’s representative at the EC Fisheries Council meeting on 18 June 2001 was supportive of the creation of regional bodies, comprising of fishing industry representatives, scientists and conservation bodies, with formal decision-making powers and whether this represented the position of Her Majesty’s Government at the meeting.

Rhona Brankin: As part of the UK delegation, I advocated the setting up of regional bodies, comprising of fishing industry representatives, scientists and other stakeholders at the EC Fisheries Council meeting on 18 June 2001. The UK highlighted the need to carefully consider the means by which this can best be done, including the powers available to the regional bodies.

Fisheries

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16673 by Rhona Brankin on 29 June 2001, whether it will detail the names and positions of those with whom she specifically discussed the creation of regional bodies and whether it will provide a summary of their responses and views on the creation of such bodies and on whether or not they should have formal decision-making powers.

Rhona Brankin: I have discussed the creation of regional bodies on many occasions and with many groups and individuals, including Franz Fischler, EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Fisheries. There has been general support for the creation of such bodies, although it will be necessary to consider carefully the means by which this can best be done.

Fisheries

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16673 by Rhona Brankin on 29 June 2001, whether it will detail any planned meetings with representatives of relevant ministries in other European Union member states or regions or institutions regarding the creation of regional bodies with formal decision-making powers, in advance of the next scheduled European Fisheries Council on 25 October 2001.

Rhona Brankin: The UK delegation will continue to discuss the creation of regional bodies where appropriate in the course of meetings with representatives of various bodies on the review of the Common Fisheries Policy. For example, a meeting of Fisheries Directors from a number of Member States is planned for mid-September.

Freight

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how the level of support under the Freight Facilities Grant scheme is calculated where awards include elements of revenue funding and what provision is made for payments in relation to estimated or verified volumes of freight shifted from road to rail.

Sarah Boyack: The Freight Facilities Grant scheme makes awards towards expenditure of a capital nature although the applicant’s project as a whole can include revenue elements as well. Grant is calculated in relation to the environmental benefits estimated to be saved by switching freight traffic from road to rail. Volumes of freight shifted from road to rail are monitored by the Scottish Executive over the lifetime of the project.

Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on the use of the timber preservative chromated copper arsenic in children’s playgrounds.

Malcolm Chisholm: Enforcement of health and safety provisions for playgrounds is a reserved matter.

  The issue of chromated copper arsenate will be considered by the European Union in the autumn of this year and the Executive will consider any resulting advice or recommendations.

Health

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate (a) whether the incidence of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in men in the Tayside area is 4.6% higher than the national average and (b) whether such incidence could be directly related to the emission of dioxins from the Baldovie waste incinerator, as stated by Friends of the Earth Scotland.

Malcolm Chisholm: Figures from the Scottish Cancer Registration System confirm that during the period 1988-1997 cases of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma for men living in Tayside were indeed 4.6% higher than the national average. However, the incidence for women living in the same area during this period was 6.4% lower than the national average. These variations from the national averages are within the range of normal fluctuations. There is no reason to believe that exposure to environmental factors in a particular locality would increase the risk in men but not in women. The Executive therefore has no plans for an investigation at this time.

Health

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to increase the numbers of radiographers undergoing training.

Susan Deacon: The number of radiographers working in NHSScotland has increased by 70 WTE (6%) since 1996.

  An additional 61 funded student places for certain professions allied to medicine groups including radiographers have been made available by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council from October 2001.

Health Spending

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive from which budget the £40 million for tackling cancer, announced by the Minister for Health and Community Care on 2 July 2001, has come.

Susan Deacon: The £40 million is part of the additional resources flowing to the health programme from this year’s UK Budget consequentials.

Health Spending

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the budget of each health board for 1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2001-02 and the Executive’s contribution to these budgets.

Susan Deacon: Details of the Executive’s contribution to budgets are as follows:

  


Health Board 
  

Executive’s Contribution To Budget 1999-2000
(£ million) 
  

Executive’s Contribution To Budget 2000-01
(£ million) 
  

Executive’s Contribution To Budget 2001-02
(£ million) 
  



Argyll & Clyde 
  

393.202 
  

430.583 
  

443.875 
  



Ayrshire & Arran 
  

336.741 
  

366.520 
  

384.786 
  



Borders 
  

101.795 
  

106.851 
  

109.095 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

148.221 
  

157.138 
  

157.546 
  



Fife 
  

297.159 
  

315.812 
  

328.674 
  



Forth Valley 
  

242.768 
  

260.787 
  

263.386 
  



Grampian 
  

451.975 
  

483.558 
  

498.232 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

910.012 
  

979.484 
  

1023.450 
  



Highland 
  

197.893 
  

211.638 
  

224.538 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

473.097 
  

516.597 
  

531.665 
  



Lothian 
  

689.336 
  

731.961 
  

753.212 
  



Orkney 
  

21.442 
  

27.749 
  

23.926 
  



Shetland 
  

24.757 
  

29.079 
  

29.770 
  



Tayside 
  

397.854 
  

423.251 
  

443.148 
  



Western Isles 
  

36.938 
  

45.991 
  

44.347 
  



  Notes:

  1. Budgets include both revenue and capital allocations. Capital allocations in particular can vary considerably from year to year. The inclusion of capital allocations and other allocations of a non-recurring nature mean that year-on-year comparisons are not, therefore, necessarily comparing like-for-like.

  2. 2001-02 budget is allocation to date. Further allocations will be made in-year.

  Details of additional income generated from other sources can be obtained from individual health boards.

Historic Scotland

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16578 by Allan Wilson on 9 July 2001, what targets it has set Historic Scotland in relation to taking additional properties within the care of the Scottish ministers and what properties have been taken into care since 1 July 1999.

Allan Wilson: No targets have been set for taking additional properties into care. Each case is judged on its merits. Since 1 July 1999 the following properties have been taken into care:

  Iona: Abbey

  Iona: Nunnery

  Kisimul Castle, Barra

  Lindsay Aisle, Angus

Justice

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to lay before the Parliament the revised Small Claims (Scotland) Amendment Order and Sheriff Court (Scotland) Act 1971 (Private Jurisdiction and Summary Cause) Order and what its timetable is for their coming into force.

Mr Jim Wallace: I refer to my answer in April to a similar question (S1W-14470). The Executive is continuing to monitor related work being done to review the procedure rules and the relevant table of fees for solicitors. Progress is being made but the Executive is not yet in a position to say when the Orders will be laid.

Justice

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many persons under 16 years of age were the subject of proceedings on indictment in (a) 1998, (b) 1999 and (c) 2000.

Mr Jim Wallace: The total number of persons aged under 16 who were proceeded against on indictment was 52 in 1998 and 26 in 1999. Figures for 2000 are not yet available.

Less Favoured Areas

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many claims under the Less Favoured Area scheme for 2001 were submitted before the deadline and how many have been paid.

Ross Finnie: My department received 13,718 claims. A small number have been either rejected, because they did not fulfil the basic criteria of the scheme, or withdrawn by the applicants. This left some 13,535 claims to be paid and to date 13,343 have been paid in full (98.6%). The claims awaiting settlement are typically the more difficult cases involving cross-border claimants, business transfers and are made up of: 100 (0.7%) where the claimants have already received the minimum payable under the scheme using the transitional payment arrangements (more commonly called the safety net) and 92 (0.7%) where the claimants have yet to have their payments calculated. In both cases, my officials are liasing closely with the appropriate parties whether they be other administrations or claimants in order to get these claims paid as soon as possible.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether question S1W-16399, which was answered by Angus Mackay on 3 July 2001, was an inspired question and, if so, why it decided to proceed also by means of question S1W-17045, which was answered by Angus Mackay on 17 July 2001.

Angus MacKay: Question S1W-16399 was not an inspired PQ.

Planning

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Railtrack’s proposals to develop the Waverley Station require any statutory consents or clearances within its areas of responsibility and, if so, whether any such consents and clearances have been granted.

Sarah Boyack: Railtrack has already secured the necessary Parliamentary powers to raise the roof height of Waverley Station. I understand that the next stage is for the company to prepare detailed design plans and then to seek planning permission from the City of Edinburgh Council as the planning authority.

Renewable Energy

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the SMART/SPUR grant scheme for early stage research and development of innovative products/processes can be used for renewable energy enterprise and, if so, whether it has been so used and what projects have been supported.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The SMART/SPUR grant schemes are not sector specific and applications are invited from a wide range of technologies including renewable energy. Three projects involving wind turbine and fuel cell technology are currently being supported under these schemes.

Renewable Energy

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive who currently has lead ministerial responsibility for the promotion of renewable energy and who currently chairs the Energy/Environment Liaison Group.

Rhona Brankin: I am the minister with lead responsibility for promotion of renewable energy in Scotland, and I chair the Executive’s cross-cutting Energy Environment Group.

Renewable Energy

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it monitors the proportion of capital expenditure spent on renewable energy schemes which are sourced from Scotland, the rest of the United Kingdom and other countries and what its strategy is to increase the proportion sourced from Scottish-based suppliers.

Rhona Brankin: No such monitoring is carried out. Our proposals to introduce a new Renewables Obligation (Scotland) on all licensed suppliers to significantly increase the amount of electricity supplied from renewable sources is already creating a real demand for new renewable energy schemes and equipment in Scotland. This has already led to the recent decision by Vestas, the Danish wind turbine manufacturer, to set up a factory near Campbeltown, and we will continue to work with Scottish Enterprise to ensure that Scotland benefits economically as well as environmentally from the development of our considerable renewable energy resource.

Road Safety

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16259 by Sarah Boyack on 2 July 2001, whether it will publish (a) a summary of the non-sensitive information contained in the road safety investigation report for the A9 Ballinluig junction and (b) the recommendations contained in the report.

Sarah Boyack: The investigation that was commissioned on the Ballinluig junction was to establish if the layout of the junction, existing signs and road markings contributed to the fatal accident that occurred on 3 April 2001. The conclusion of the investigation report was that none of these factors contributed to the accident.

  Some measures were identified which could increase safety and the following measures are being implemented:

  repositioning of the speed camera on the southbound carriageway;

  new speed camera on the northbound carriageway;

  introduction of a temporary 50mph speed limit;

  installation of a video surveillance camera;

  minor improvements to signing and road markings.

Roads

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has subjected proposals for an A77 Girvan bypass to its New Appraisal Methodology and, if so, what the ratings are for integration, economy, safety, environment and accessibility, and what the summary of monetised cost-benefit measures is for both central and zero growth scenarios at both the 1994 price base and at current prices.

Sarah Boyack: No. The Executive would expect proposals prepared around a decade ago to be reviewed using the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance issued on 30 July.

Roads

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-16539 and S1W-16540 by Sarah Boyack on 6 July 2001, whether such planning applications included applications for road construction consent; whether any proposals by local authorities to grant consent were notifiable to it as planning applications or road construction applications or both; where such proposals are not notifiable, what mechanisms exist for calling in the applications in question and, where they are notifiable, in what respects decisions by local authorities on such applications are not made readily available to the Executive.

Sarah Boyack: None of the planning applications referred to in the answers to questions SIW-16539 and SIW-16540 related to planning applications for road construction consent. Road construction consents are not notifiable to the Scottish Executive and therefore the Executive does not have records of the decisions taken by the local authorities.

  There are no mechanisms for calling in applications. The applicant can appeal against road construction consents under the sub sections (6) and (7) of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 once the decision has been made by the local authority.

Roads

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether signs erected by Bear Scotland Ltd and Amey Highways Ltd alongside trunk roads and motorways require advertising consent from the relevant local authorities and, if so, whether any such consent has been sought and granted in all cases; whether erection of the signs requires its consent as the trunk roads authority and, if so, whether any consent has been sought and granted in all cases; whether the contractors, as agents of the Scottish Executive, have any discretion to award themselves any such consents, and whether these signs are intended to be permanent.

Sarah Boyack: The new trunk road maintenance contracts require the new Operating Companies to provide an operational customer contact number for the recording of defects on the trunk road network. The customer contact signs erected by BEAR Scotland Ltd and Amey Highways Ltd along trunk roads are permanent signs and have been authorised as traffic signs at approved locations by the Scottish Executive. Local authorities have no remit with regard to signs within the trunk road boundary. Bear Scotland Ltd and Amey Highways Ltd cannot erect any signs within the trunk road boundary without the approval of the Scottish Executive.

Sport

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding is being made available to improve the availability, accessibility and affordability of indoor sporting facilities to allow all-weather training for elite sportspersons and to ensure that the potential of other sportspersons can be realised.

Allan Wilson: There are a number of ways in which the issue of providing access to indoor training facilities for elite athletes is being addressed.

  The Scottish Institute of Sport has nine programme sports for which it will provide not only a full time coach but also a programme budget which allows, among many other things, payment to be made to local partners for access to facilities. Institute athletes are on holistic training programmes which cover their sporting needs and their need for indoor and all-weather training is dealt with in this context. A similar system exists for athletes identified at an area institute level who all have access to facilities in their local area as part of a holistic training programme. In addition, individual elite athletes can receive awards from the Lottery Sports Fund Talented Athlete Programme which allows them to buy time in appropriate facilities. The younger athletes are supported through the Junior Groups aspect of this programme.

  sportscotland provides support to governing bodies through their development grant aid process which can be used for national squad training. sportscotland also has ongoing dialogue with local authorities and with the Scottish Athletics Federation about the provision of adequate national facilities for athletics.

  In addition to this support from sportscotland, many local authorities still run independent, free or reduced cost access schemes for athletes performing at a national level.

Sport

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that talented sporting youngsters from inner-city areas can realise their potential in sports such as football and rugby by provision of adequate levels of green space in urban areas and well-resourced, accessible and affordable indoor facilities.

Allan Wilson: Sport 21 recommended that local authorities should publish a strategic plan for sport and recreation for their areas. Such strategies are expected to include a playing field strategy as recommended in the National Planning Policy Guideline 11 on sport and recreation (NPPG 11). In a recent address to the Scottish Association of Directors of Leisure Services, I called on local authorities to quicken the pace in taking this work forward.  sportscotland stands ready to assist local authorities with this work and is currently developing practical guidance on preparing playing field strategies.

  In addition, the Scottish Executive is investing £300,000 to enable sportscotland to conduct, over the next two years, an audit of the condition of Scotland’s stock of sports facilities. The results will inform strategies and plans for meeting future needs including those for pitch sports.

  This work is in addition to the significant lottery investment made through sportscotland in the development of sports facilities. At the end of July, 519 awards totalling £85.5 million had been made under the Lottery Sports Fund capital programme.

Tourism

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the £5 million awarded to VisitScotland, as announced on 28 March 2001, is subject to VAT.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: This funding is not subject to VAT.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-15676 by Sarah Boyack on 11 July 2001, whether at the time of the answer it had the information to include in the answer details of what may be spent in Scotland as a consequence of the £100 million modernisation fund for the road haulage industry and also provide an outline of the details of its proposed consultation with the road haulage industry; whether it will now provide this information, and whether it will indicate whether any decisions have been taken about the equivalent measures to be introduced in Scotland and on the level of resources which will require to be applied to implement them.

Sarah Boyack: The Executive did not have details on 11 July of what may be spent in Scotland. Possible measures for implementation in Scotland are still under review in consultation with the Freight Transport Association and the Road Haulage Association. The action to be taken in Scotland will be announced once consideration of the options is completed.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10497 by Sarah Boyack on 7 November 2000, which of the awards made under the Freight Facilities Grant scheme and the Rail Passenger Partnership Fund consisted (a) solely of capital payments, whether paid in one year or in instalments and (b) included revenue payments and, for (b), whether it will detail the level of revenue support profiled over the years for which the award was made.

Sarah Boyack: Payments made under the Freight Facilities Grant Scheme relate solely to capital expenditure.

  Payments made under the Rail Passenger Partnership Fund for the Edinburgh Crossrail project are for revenue support. However, they also include an element of capital to cover any shortfall that may have arisen during the project’s development. The profile of payments is:

  


2001-02 
  

£414,000 
  



2002-03 
  

£82,000 
  



2003-04 
  

£154,000 
  



2004-05 
  

£55,000

Water

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what advanced planning in relation to finance and human resources has been undertaken in preparation for implementation of the EC Water Framework Directive.

Rhona Brankin: We are still developing our policy on the implementation of the EC Water Framework Directive. The full resource implications are not likely to be clear for some time.

  However, additional grant-in-aid, totalling some £16.5 million over the 3-year period 2001-02 to 2003-04, has been announced for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). The extra grant-in-aid takes account of the increased responsibilities and duties that will fall to SEPA in implementing European and domestic legislation and in fulfilling the Executive’s Programme for Government commitments. This includes preparatory work for the implementation of the EC Water Framework Directive.

Water Services

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which of the two aims of providing value for money or meeting statutory requirements, as referred to in page 188 of The Scottish Budget , carries the higher priority in Scotland’s water and sewerage service.

Ross Finnie: Scottish Executive policy is to meet statutory requirements in a manner that delivers value for money.

Water Services

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scotland’s water and sewerage service has delivered value for money in each year since 1996.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish water authorities have made substantial progress since 1996 in delivering value for money, and further improvements will be required during the next strategic review period.